Johnson County Catholic priest pleads no contest to stealing over $42,000 from church
A Johnson County Catholic priest accused of stealing more than $42,000 from his Gardner parish pleaded no contest to felony theft Friday.
The Rev. Joseph Cramer’s trial was set to start on Monday before he pleaded. He was originally charged with one count of theft and two counts of computer crime. The computer crime charges were dropped Friday.
Cramer, 68, was charged in May 2018 after he was placed on leave from Divine Mercy Parish months earlier for “financial irregularities.”
According to court records Cramer lost more than $67,000 at area casinos over seven months in 2015 and 2016.
In that same time period, prosecutors alleged, Cramer stole the money from the church.
Cramer is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 30.
Katie Bernard
The Kansas City Star